Veronica spicata. 
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Veronica plant, botanically known as Veronica spicata, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Darwin""s Bluexe2x80x99.
The new Veronica is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of an unidentified selection of Veronica spicata, not patented. The new Veronica was discovered by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Hillegom, The Netherlands, within a population of plants of the unidentified selection in 1998. The selection of this new Veronica was based on its dark violet blue flower color. Plants of the new Veronica have darker violet blue-colored flowers than plants of the parent selection.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by vegetative cuttings taken at Hillegom, The Netherlands since 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Veronica are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
Plants of the cultivar Darwin""s Blue have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, daylength, and fertilizer rate without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Darwin""s Bluexe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Darwin""s Bluexe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Upright plant habit.
2. Freely flowering habit.
3. Dark violet blue-colored flowers.